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Respect is a large factor in SHU parking crises

February 14, 2008

Ah, parking. The tried-and-true probably on the top ten list of complaints from anyone who frequents Seton Hill University. It’s only made worse by a campus that’s growing faster than it has room for its occupants, by administration that’s denying there’s a problem and by students who fell asleep when someone was trying to teach them how to park properly

When I asked my editor if I could write about our parking problem, I informed her that I had already written an article about it at some point as a freshman. She said that we were due for another one. I obliged.

By Andrea Perkins

Senior Staff Writer

Ah, parking. The tried-and-true probably on the top ten list of complaints from anyone who frequents Seton Hill University. It’s only made worse by a campus that’s growing faster than it has room for its occupants, by administration that’s denying there’s a problem and by students who fell asleep when someone was trying to teach them how to park properly

When I asked my editor if I could write about our parking problem, I informed her that I had already written an article about it at some point as a freshman. She said that we were due for another one. I obliged.

Three years later, with more students and a totally revamped parking lot, I think its time the situation was reassessed.

Parking lot A, a year ago, was completely repaved with new parking spots and a nifty little walkway complete with light posts that students have already destroyed. Many students with vehicles breathed sighs of relief-they would get a spot now! Maintenance probably thought that they would finally get to plow the snow properly in the winter! This is not the case. There is still no parking in lot A for faculty and staff, commuters or visitors because students continue to park there when they are not supposed to. Many cars still sit in the lot overnight.

Why aren’t they being fiercely ticketed? Not that it has ever stopped students from parking there, but maybe those students just enjoy yellow a lot on their vehicles.Moving down the ramp to lots B and C, we find that students can no longer decide what a straight line is. There are some people that park in between two spots, on the line, completely ruining a potential parking place for two more people, meaning that everyone has to shift over, park on more lines, or decide if their car can fit into that tiny squeeze of a spot, in which case, you better suck in your gut to get out so you don’t dent another car.

The other night, a friend and I were driving up the ramp to get out of B lot. A massive truck was parked somewhere of the vicinity of the curb, but was essentially in the way of anyone trying to use the ramp to leave or enter the lot. How is that safe to anyone, pedestrian, driver or otherwise?

Students have also taken to parking in front of stairways down to the parking lots. It’s not as if the stairs aren’t dangerous enough-they have “liability” written all over them. But let’s make the situation worse by parking in front of them so we have to climb over your vehicle to get through. I give kudos to the person who typed up the following and placed it on said vehicle: “36 inches would have prevented you from looking like a total _expletive deleted. If you are going to take an illegal spot, at least have the courtesy to not block the walkway, expletive deleted.”

As for parking up at Caritas Christi during the day, you better bring your extra warm coat or be ready to stick your thumb out waiting for the shuttle which may or may not stop for you on those bitter mornings. It really is not fair to ask guests of Seton Hill, our home for many of us, to park up there. You might as well say, “Hi! Welcome to Seton Hill! Park in the back and walk five miles and then try to navigate your way to wherever the Admin building might be. Try not to get lost.”

Faculty, guests and staff would probably also have an easier time of finding spots if they didn’t have the ones reserved for them around Maura and Reeves taken by students at night. Maybe if students didn’t park there, faculty and guests would, leaving more room for commuters in lot A

I really hope the Administration won’t look at any of us in the face when they tell us that there isn’t a parking problem as they used to say a few years ago. I remember earlier this year, there were people parking on the grass by the cemetery because they were out of places to park. Parking on the grass isn’t a problem? Blocking the stairways isn’t a problem? Parking a mile away from where you actually live isn’t a problem? How about if we repaved lots B and C, making the lines easier to see? Perhaps if the school took a look at putting some parking places where students might actually use them, like further behind Dechantal and Farrell for example? Up at Project Forward there could be useful spots for Farrell residents. Or how about that stony road down by the Grotto? There’s parking space down there screaming to be utilized.

Or maybe students, faculty and staff should begin to take matters into their own hands and just park wherever they all please…maybe then someone will get the hint – oh wait, everyone does that already, but remember, it’s not a problem.